Upgrade from TW Acustic Raven AC-3 to what?

I have oftem wondered at which point the law of diminishing returns, starts to apply. If you are choosing quality components, then I believe you need to at least increase investment by 50, perhaps 100%, to get a meaningful improvement. Below that, I believe, you get different, not better. However, different may be what you really need. We all know the excitement of a new component, changing the sound, apparently for the better. In many cases, just change refreshes the audio tastebuds.

When you get to a quality component and I think we can nearly all agree the Raven 3 is a quality component, then improving it becomes frighteningly expensive. Even then, a large investment, will probably get you an improvement you can only hear in a superb set up, in a highly treated room. I think you will always hear a difference, because components have a very different version of audio truth, but that is'nt better. It would need far better ears than mine to hear an improvement between one of the top tables discussed and another

Basis Inspiration.

Dealer disclaimer.

In high-end audio a fast and straight journey needs a really good roadmap, the ability to read that map and a very precise idea of ones destination.
Thats why it is such a long journey.......
D.

Just an example what is going on when you listen to analog:

The dimensions from the contact diamond in the groove are microscopic and to show in what huge lever the cartridge System "sits" (to be able to realize that even the "tiniest" distortions will have their result in the sonic presentation),
imagine the following:
Multiply all datas from your Tonearm with factor 100.
With a regular Arm this one will have a length in the area of 27.3 yards, the cartridge System is about 1.09 yards in height, the cantilever about 0.5 yards and the contact are from the needle is in the area of 0.0196 inch.
The Mass has a direct relation to that sizes - well and this will be "disturbed" now by additional vibrations from outside ( can be from motor, belt, platter, bearing and so on)
The influence from tonearm (bearing etc.) or cartridge is not included

Turntables have something to do with science, even when some deny it and prefer a proper painting instead. I forgot, how about a rumbling wheel with direct contact to the platter...the low frequency is not the subway below Kingsway Hall or PRAT in reality :-)
Here you have the reason why tables "sound" different, or why a cow can't be changed to a race horse, even when you hug it :-), but probably it will learn to fly. Who knows....
This is only the vibration, we didn't discuss the quality from material mix, the influence from the platter, the quality of motor, belt or string ...

.... and sound pressure, building frequency - just to complete the listing even further and to illustrate the point a bit more precisely.
The different sound of turntables does indeed has its roots in different combinations of faults and periphery sourced disturbances which alter the playback situation and falsify the signal during the extraction from the grooves.
A truly great turntable has no sound.
Best possible isolation from building frequency and ground- as well as air-transmitted vibration is a FIRST major step.
Picture the electron microscope...... I mean this it is so obvious and easy.
The sharp image of an electron microscope resting on an isolation table (or inside an isolation suspended ROOM....) and the totally disturbed vague idea of something when the suspension is switched off.
The similarities between the TT w/tonearm and cartridge and the elect.-microscope should be obvious - both do deal with comparable dimensions and both need undisturbed surroundings to do their job.
Get the AC-3 on a Vibraplane first (or a Minus-K) - listen then rethink about sound and the way you want to go.
In any case - enjoy the journey.
D.